Chronicles Appreciation

[Greenapple968]

Originally Posted by lance6439

https://i.imgur.com/KTQMwEY.png
https://i.imgur.com/WqYcAjQ.png
https://i.imgur.com/vkPUQab.png
https://i.imgur.com/Tw6MZfo.png


this episode of B&B reminded me of the teen lara levels lol

From looking at those images, I can see where you're coming from. In the Ireland section, Lara is 16 isn't she? I ask because I remember people saying that she was 16 but I also remember someone saying that she was only 11. I'd have to say that 16 is a lot more believable.

[stfrancisfolly]

After another TR5 replay, the Ireland levels are amongst some of my favorite classic TR levels. Spooky atmosphere and great gameplay. Had to turn up the brightness in Gallows Tree / Misty Cave or certain death on those jumps.

I wish they would remake all TR Classics. Love em all.

[Greenapple968]

Originally Posted by stfrancisfolly

After another TR5 replay, the Ireland levels are amongst some of my favorite classic TR levels. Spooky atmosphere and great gameplay. Had to turn up the brightness in Gallows Tree / Misty Cave or certain death on those jumps.

I wish they would remake all TR Classics. Love em all.

The Ireland section is my least favourite section in Chronicles, and one of my least favourite sections in the series, but we're all different.

[Frceghst8]

Okay, I did like that you got glimpse of Lara's past + the new game play elements, like the tightrope walking, pole swinging.
Just my i.m.o, it looked like a rehash of TR 4, the second thing that bothers me is Lara has an uncanny nack for escaping collapsing tombs. So, Lara not escaping in TR 4 is very unlikely. I.m.o

[lance6439]

Might give TR5 another replay. I love everything about this game so much. But maybe after trying to beat TR4.

[Mr. Mr.]

The Rome levels were okay, I guess.

[Mik9517]

I've just finished replaying Chronicles as I bet it for the first time I think when I was about 15 (which was still about 10 years after the game came out).

I actually quite like the mini-adventure structure of the game - probably the VCI levels are my favourite as I do like the James Bond vibe of those levels.

Next probably the Rome levels then the Russian Submarine ones. I'm not so keen on the Ireland ones mainly as I think the platforming in some parts makes it less clear where you need to go and the rope swinging section in the Old Mill at the beginning annoys me.

A thought did strike me though when I was replaying the Russian submarine levels that they were really the last classic TR levels with the dual pistols as Ireland Lara had no weapons and then you had the limited ammo in the VCI levels and Angel of Darkness which made me feel a bit sad actually.

Anyway onto Angel of Darkness now as I'm working through the series

[Kurtis6]

I always think Tomb Raider Chronicles is a celebration of Lara. It doesn't try to be a "new experience" and feels like an alpha version of the "Lara Croft and..." series made by Crystal.

What I didn't like was how small the adventures were, but on the other side, there are very different from each other and give you diversity.

Also, Chronicles gave you a teaser of the tone of the upcoming game "Angel of Darkness" especially The Russian and VCI levels.

[Jathom95]

For how things turned out, I like Chronicles enough as one of the classics. It's short, but fulfilling and they did have some good ideas sprinkled throughout.

However, knowing that it at least partially contributed to the development issues with AOD, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't probably best to end the classic era at TR4 and move on to "The Next Generation" from there. Core didn't make Chronicles because they wanted to, but because they had to.

And who knows, maybe things still would've turned out the same way. But I've always felt this way. It's a love-hate relationship.

[.snake.]

Originally Posted by Jathom95

For how things turned out, I like Chronicles enough as one of the classics. It's short, but fulfilling and they did have some good ideas sprinkled throughout.

However, knowing that it at least partially contributed to the development issues with AOD, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't probably best to end the classic era at TR4 and move on to "The Next Generation" from there. Core didn't make Chronicles because they wanted to, but because they had to.

And who knows, maybe things still would be turned out the same way. But I've always felt this way. It's a love-hate relationship.

I feel the same way you do in a lot of ways.

I know that in many ways, TR5 is to blame for a lot of the failures that AOD suffered. However, I will still say this:

I wish we would have gotten more TR5 style games.

With all the perpetual delays AOD went through, it would have been amazing to get even more Chronicles games during the delay-years. Just think: AOD gets delayed until 2002, so we get another Chronicles in 2001... and then AOD gets delayed until 2003, so we get a final Chronicles game in 2002.

Granted, I know this would've made TR an even bigger laughing stock in the gaming media, and I know the development teams would have most likely committed suicide. Buuuut... as a die-hard-fan, more of Lara's mini past adventures would've been like a drug.

I also know that AOD would have suffered even more if the team had been kept split for the sake of Chronicles. But, it also seems like some Chronicles devs did not transition back to AOD but instead just left the company (like Joby Wood and Andy Sandham, unless I am mistaken) so theoretically they could have kept some members on and separate from AOD. Also, I wonder why they didn't get Philip Campbell and the small American team from the Gold games involved for this. Not only could this have helped Chronicles, but also helped AOD, and also possibly given us one or two more mini-adventures from Lara's past to be released during the long AOD-interim.

Just my thoughts. I know AOD is less than it could have been in part due to Chronicles, but I still love the Chronicles formula of getting some mini-adventures from Lara's past that don't retcon or break with the original canon. It would have been cool if (in the same way that they gave us insight into the Iris artefact which appears in THREE games) they would have maybe given us insight into: Lara's Himalayan plane crash, discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, and killing Bigfoot.